Sunday Suspense Is Good News for NBC

On the heels of its smashing Olympics ratings, NBC came up with another winner in the final round of the Ryder Cup. According to Sports Business Daily, the network garnered a 3.3 rating and 7 audience share for the Sunday singles, up 22.2% from the Nielsen for the final round in 2006. Of course, as my SI colleague Mark Godich points out, two years ago, with the Euros having virtually locked up the Cup by the close of play on Saturday, there was little drama in that final session. But it's also significant that this is the first Tiger-less major event this year to show an upward ratings bump over the most recent previous edition.